“Thank you.”
Stepping forward, she kissed him on the cheek. “Almost as beautiful on the outside as you are on the inside.”
I watched him blink and look at me, his green eyes filled with confusion. I leaned into the doorjamb and said, “Some of us can see right through you, Cary Taylor. Those gorgeous looks don’t fool us. We know you’ve got that big beautiful heart inside you.”
“Come on!” my mom said, grabbing both of our hands and pulling us out of the room.
When we made it down to the lobby level, we found Stanton’s limousine waiting. My stepfather climbed out of the back and wrapped his arms around my mom, pressing a gentle kiss to her cheek because he knew she wouldn’t want to mess up her lipstick. Stanton was an attractive man, with snow white hair and denim blue eyes. His face bore some traces of his years, but he was still a very attractive man, one who stayed fit and active.
“Eva!” He hugged me, too, and kissed my cheek. “You look ravishing.”
I smiled, not quite sure whether being “ravishing” meant I looked like I was going to ravish someone or was waiting to be ravished.
Stanton shook Cary’s hand and gave him a gentle slap to the shoulder. “It’s good to see you back on your feet, young man. You gave us all a scare.”
“Thank you. For everything.”
“No thanks necessary,” Stanton said, waving it off. “Ever.”
My mom took a deep breath, then let it out. Her eyes were bright as she watched Stanton. She caught me looking at her and smiled, and it was a peaceful smile.
We ended up at a private club with a big band and two excellent singers—one male and one female. They switched frequently throughout the evening, providing the perfect accompaniment to a candlelit meal served in a high-backed velvet booth right out of a classic Manhattan society photo. I couldn’t help but be charmed.
Between dinner and dessert, Cary asked me to dance. We’d taken formal dance classes together, at my mother’s insistence, but we had to take it easy with Cary’s injuries. We basically just swayed in place, enjoying the contentment that came from ending a happy day with a good meal shared with loved ones.
“Look at them,” Cary said, watching Stanton expertly lead my mom around the dance floor. “He’s crazy about her.”
“Yes. And she’s good for him. They give each other what they need.”
He looked down at me. “You thinking about your dad?”
“A little.” I reached up and ran my fingers through his hair, thinking of longer and darker strands that felt like thick silk. “I never really thought of myself as romantic. I mean, I like romance and grand gestures and that tipsy feeling you get when you’re crushing hard on someone. But the whole Prince Charming fantasy and marrying the love of your life wasn’t my thing.”
“You and me, baby girl, we’re too jaded. We just want mind-blowing sex with someone who knows we’re fucked up and accepts it.”
My mouth twisted wryly. “Somewhere along the way, I deluded myself into thinking Gideon and I could have it all. That being in love was all we needed. I guess because I never really thought I’d ever fall in love like that, and there’s the whole myth that when you do, you’re supposed to live happily ever after.”
Cary pressed his lips to my brow. “I’m sorry, Eva. I know you’re hurting. I wish I could fix it.”
“I don’t know why it never occurred to me to just find someone I can be happy with.”
“Too bad we don’t want to bang each other. We’d be perfect.”
I laughed and leaned my cheek against his heart.
When the song ended, we pulled apart and started toward our table. I felt fingers circle my wrist and turned my head—
I found myself looking into the eyes of Christopher Vidal Jr., Gideon’s half brother.